A Memorable Trip
by Kristen3
Summary: When David asks about an old photograph he found, it leads Niles and Daphne to remember the very early years of their relationship. A bit of fluff inspired by "Travels with Martin." One-shot.


**Author's Note: **I just got this idea after seeing a rerun of "Travels With Martin" earlier. I knew I had to do it, so I started typing and this bit of fluff resulted! :D

"Thanks, Mom," David exclaimed as he raced down the stairs.

Daphne smiled. "Did you find everything you needed for your school project?"

David nodded. "I didn't know you kept so many old pictures." He'd just spent the past hour going through a box his mother kept in the closet.

"Well, I guess I'm a bit sentimental," Daphne chuckled.

"You have lots of pictures of you and Dad."

"Well, we've known each other for a long time, you know."

David nodded. He'd heard the story a thousand times by now, how his father had walked into his Uncle Frasier's place and seen her standing there. It was love at first sight, or at least that's what he'd been told. He looked down, remembering the picture he wanted to ask about. "What's this picture from? Did you guys see a real live bear?"

Daphne couldn't help smiling when she saw the picture. "No, that wasn't a real bear, David. It was stuffed. It's from a trip your father and your uncle and grandfather and I took years ago. We went up to Canada."

"Canada?" David asked. "Why would you want to go there?"

"We didn't. Or at least I certainly didn't." Daphne could remember the day the photograph had been taken as if it were yesterday. No wonder. It wasn't every day she faced the very real possibility of being deported back to England.

"Mom?" David asked when he noticed the odd look on his mother's face.

Before Daphne could explain, the front door opened and Niles came home.

"My love?" Niles asked, seeing that something was off about her.

Daphne came back to the present when she heard her husband's voice. "I'm all right. Your son was just asking about the time we went to Canada."

"To Canada?" Niles asked. Though the border wasn't that far away, Niles had rarely crossed it. He'd never had a reason to.

"Yes," Daphne said, handing him the photo.

"Oh, yes, that trip. We'll never forget that, will we?" Niles could still see her as she'd looked back then. He'd been different then, too. A married man who could only love her from afar.

"What was so special about that trip?" David asked, not having a clue why his parents were looking at each other that way.

"Well, it was the first time I'd ever gone anywhere with your father and your grandfather. We were all still getting to know each other then."

Niles nodded. "Your grandfather had this great idea to rent a Winnebago and go on a trip. It wasn't exactly what Frasier or I had planned, but it wasn't too bad. Till we accidentally wound up in Canada."

"That was a bit of a problem for me," Daphne explained. "I wasn't a US citizen yet, and I wasn't supposed to leave the country."

"What'd you guys do?" David asked, now even more interested.

"Well, we had no choice but to pass your mother off as an American."

David looked at his mother in shock. With her accent, and her stories about growing up in Manchester, there was no way anyone would've thought she was American.

"Oh, I was a bloody failure as an American!" Daphne said, laughing. "We were all so nervous in front of those border guards."

David didn't know what to say. He waited to hear the rest of the story.

"Believe it or not, it was actually Dad who saved us," Niles said. "He came up with a story about forgetting Eddie's rabies certificate which gave him a chance to show his badge. That got us out of there."

"I don't know what I would've done if your father hadn't thought of that," Daphne said to her husband.

Niles took hold of Daphne's hand in one of his. He used the other to caress her cheek. "I would've stayed by your side, no matter what. I would never have let you be deported."

"I wish I'd known back then how you felt about me. It would've made a lot of things so much easier."

"My love, nothing this wonderful could ever come easily."

"Dad, you mean you really loved Mom all the way back then?" David pointed to the picture.

"Oh, yes," Niles said. "The only reason I went on the trip was to spend some time with her. You see, David, love is a very special thing. When you find it, you can't give up, even when things seem completely hopeless."

David couldn't help feeling a bit nervous. Love was for grow-ups. He wasn't ready for that yet.

"Don't be scared, David. You don't have to worry about any of this now," Daphne said, sensing his fears.

"I know how you feel. My mother used to tell me all the time that love could be found even in the most unexpected places. I never believed her until I saw your mom. She changed everything."

David thought about what his parents had said. He still didn't think he understood love, or ever would. But his parents were happy, and they obviously had a lot of memories of their life together. He'd seen some of them upstairs as he'd gone through the pictures. Maybe, someday, he'd have pictures, too. Love might be scary, but it could also be worth it.

**The End**


End file.
